Improvement in counterpoise platforms for ordnance



ALANSN T. BREWER, OF BRIGHTON,` MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters PatentNo. 102,213,dated Apr/il 26, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN COUNTERPOISE PLATFORMS FOR ORDNANCE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Be it known that I, ALANsoN T. BREWER, of Brighton, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Oounterpoising Guns for siege andgarrison purposes, of which the followinggwith the accompanying drawings, is a full description.

Considerable attention has been paid of late to .the subject of counterpoising guns and gun-carriages for garrison and siege purposes, so that the gun may be. lowered behind and below the parapet to be loaded, and raised above the parapet to be tired. Heretofore inquiries and experiments seemto have been confined to couuterpoising guns and their carriages only.

My invention has reference to counterpoising, low. ering, and raising not only the gun, or gun and carriage, but the platform ou which they rest, thus obtaining morc steadiuess and uniformity of action, and more certainty of control, as Ithiuk. I am also enabled to use the carriages as already constructed, and

know in use.

I accomplish my object by placing the platform upon one end or ends of a series of levers, having upou the other end or ends a counterpoise weight, and then, by the transference of an additional weight from one to the ther, causing the platform to rise or fall, asv desire In the drawings- Plate 1 is a top view of gun and platform.

Plate 2 is a perpendicular sectional view of gun, caru'ages, platform, levers, weight, 85e., when the gun is elevated and iu battery.

Plate 3 is a like view when-the gun is depressed and recoiled.

Plate 4 is a top view of the lower system of levers, &c.

A A is the platform, upon which is placed the ordinary revolving chassis carriage B B, and upon that the top carriage C, upon which last is the gun D. The drawings are made on a scale of one thirty-second to the inch of a fifteen-inch gun.

The piutlea is made hollow.

o p u represent the three circles upon which the revolving carriage B traverses upon the wheels q fr s, (s having an eccentric axis.)

t t are the eccentric axle-wheels ofthe top gun-carriage O.

Directly in front of the pintle in the center of the carriage B, under the gun, is placed a pulley, b, hav, ing its centers on the bottom rails of the carriage, and atthc'frout is placed another pulley, c, having its center midway the rails.

Ou the `lower side rear end, midway of the carriage C, is fastened a guide-rod, d, surrounded by a stout cylinder or hollow rod, o, which is surrounded by a strong spiral spring, w.

To the hollow rod e, at its front end, is attached a cord or chain, k, passing forward over and around the pulley c, and over the pulley b, and down through the pintle a to the auxiliary or transfer weight K.

The platform A is mounted or suspended upon a series of rods, E, pivoted by.knucklejoiuts e to the platform at their upper ends, and at their lower ends, by joints f, to a series of levers, F.

These levers F are hung midway, at g, to strong supports G.

At the inner ends of these levers F are hung rods 71, pivoted to the levers at j, and extending downward and pivoted at z to the couuterpoise weight H, which is equal to the combined weights of gun, carriages,

platform, Stc.so that the platform will rest at any pof sition up or down.

At the inner extremities of the levers F is placed a small platform, I, having, extending below, brackets or projections J, in which are placed friction-rollers fi, resting on the tops of the ends of the levers F, and supportingthe platform I.

K is a transfer weight attached to the cord or chain k, and pulling against the spiral spring w.

L is a strong-walled well, of suitable depth, iu which the platform A rises and falls.

N are pillars, having upon their tops rubber or other suitable seats, upon which the platform rests when depressed.

M is a strong-walled shaft in which the weight His placed, and moves upy and down.

In the walls of this shaft are placed projecting pil- .lars with grooves m., in which mo've tongues upon the weight, for steadying purposes.

n are tongues or tenons attached to the walls L, and fitting into corresponding grooves or mortises in the circumference ot the platform, to steady the' platform. Friction-rollers will be` used on these tongues and grooves.

IVhen the gun is in battery the parts occupy the positions in plate 2. lVhen the gun is red it recoils backward, and, in so doing, lifts the weight K from its platform I, (where it rested upon the couuterpoise ends of the levers,) as shown by the dotted lines, plate 2, and so transfers it to the platform end. Asa result, the platform end becomes so much the heavier, and, as the gun goes back to the rear of the chassis carriage, the platform end sinks and the counter-poise rises till they occupy the positions shown in plate 3. The gun is then held in position for loading in the usual manner.

When loaded, and the friction released, the gun rides forward, and the weight K being deposited on its seat I outhecounterpoise end of the levers, that becomes so much heavier, and sinks, while the platform rises as the gun rides forward 'into battery, as

' shown in plate?, when it is ready to be fired.

The distances from e to f, and f to g, and gto j, and y' to a: are intended to be equal. If the counterpoise vis made exactly to balance the platform, carriages, and

gun, it will be seen that, when the gun is loaded, considerable Weight will befadded to the platform end of the lever. The charge of afifteen-inch gun will'w'eigh some six hundred pounds. 'In practice it may be found desirable to increase the weight of the counter--4 poise about one half the weight ofthe charge, and the transfer or make-weight should probably amount -to twelve hundred pounds or thereabout. These weights lmay be regulated as experience may require.

The rst shock of' the recoil is relieved bythe spiral spring acting against the transfer weight as it rises, and this weight moves more steadily and without jerking. Thebearings should be knife-edges, and the levers and rods must be trussed or otherwise made of strength enough for the purpose. The parts can be 4 it up, no extra menor extra maneuvering or manip-v ulations by the men will he required in handling the piece.. y

The transfer' of the auxiliary weight by other means will not change the principle of myinvention.

A front pintle-carriage may be used aswell, or, indeed, any kid of a carriage, the proper modifications being made, while the general principle, plan, and mode of operation remain -the same.

- 1. The gun or piece of ordnance with carriage, platform, and counterpoise weight, when constructed, arranged, and operating in combination, substantially as described.

2. The platform of a siege or garrison-gun or piece of ordnance, in combination with vlevers and weights,

constructed to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A gun or piece of ordnance with'its carriage and platform, in combination with levers and a counterpoise, when constructed, arranged, and operating in such manner that the transfer of an auxiliary or makeweight shall cause'the gun to ascend and descend, substantially as and for the purposes-described.

4. The construction and arrangement of the auxliary or make-weight, incombination with the counterpoise, in such manner that running the gun into battery shall transfer the weight from the carriage to the counterpoise, and cause the gun to ascend to be fired, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

A. T. BREWERv Witnesses: i

A. B. ELY, W. B. ELY. 

